Sciatica in Maryland Heights, MO. Anyone who has ever experienced sciatica will struggle to find words powerful enough to convey the intensity of pain that accompanies it and just how disabling it can become. If you have been diagnosed with or believe you suffer from sciatica, or a condition that affects the sciatic nerve, get the care you need right away.

Axes Physical Therapy is a network of fifteen Maryland Heights, MO area physical therapy treatment clinics. These provider-owned and operated movement wellness offices bring you thoughtful, individualized, intelligent care for your sciatica or other movement complaints near Maryland Heights, MO. Contact a physical therapist in the Maryland Heights area about sciatica care for you today or make an appointment online now.

What You Should Know About Sciatica

Sciatica describes the irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve begins in the nerve roots located in the low end of the spine, then from the pelvis it reaches back to each buttock and runs down and through the back of each leg. Sciatica can be distinguished from general low back pain or other conditions because the pain from sciatica radiates from this precise nerve path.

Sciatica itself is not a diagnosisas people commonly assume. In fact, sciatica describes a set of symptoms tied to the sciatic nerve that surface when an underlying medical condition causes the sciatic nerve to be irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed. Sciatica symptoms vary wildly, but commonly consist of various forms of pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling down the buttock and leg. While low back pain in constrained to the immediate area around the back (though other conditions affecting the low back and lead to tightness, imbalance, and overcompensation that causes additional physical problems), you may find that your sciatica symptoms exist down into the glute area, legs, and feet and heels.

Symptoms of Sciatica

The type and severity of sciatica symptoms vary from case to case. Your sciatica’s exact presentation is dictated by the positioning of the pressure or damage to the nerve root. Symptoms that accompany sciatica include pain, numbness, loss of muscle function, tingling, and pain that is aggravated by being in certain positions.

The distinguishing marker of sciatica is pain that follows the path of the sciatic nerve from the low spine to the pelvis, buttocks, and legs. Most of the time, symptoms appear only on one side — either the left or right hip and leg. However, it is possible for a patient to experience sciatic pain and symptoms on both sides. This is determined by where on the sciatic nerve the irritation or compression occurs.

With sciatica comes undeniable pain for anyone with the condition in Maryland Heights, MO. This nerve-related pain is described by patients as:

• Sharp
• Jolting
• Shooting
• Burning
• Electric
• Stabbing
• Tingling

If you are suffering from the debilitating pain and other limiting symptoms of sciatica, speak to a medical professional specializing in spine health right away. Axes Physical Therapy’s Maryland Heights, MO area physical and occupational therapists will lead you on your journey to a full recovery and craft a care plan with the best chance of success of restoring your mobility and freedom from pain.

Causes of Sciatica

Most instances of sciatica are caused, in one way or another, by the irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve inflammation is easily repaired with physical therapy in the Maryland Heights area designed to target the underlying cause of your sciatica symptoms, or may even resolve on their own as time passes and you practice safe exercise and home care. However, for patients suffering from sciatica due to the direct compression of the sciatic nerve, more aggressive treatments like invasive surgery may be used.

Usually, patients with conditions such as sciatica pain do not know what caused their pain to begin with. Whether you suffered an acute injury while playing sports or being active or woke up one day with sharp pains down your left leg that you can’t explain, our Maryland Heights, MO area physical therapists are equipped to provide you with accessible, epirically-supported restorative care.

Common Reasons for Sciatica

• Herniated disc
• Slipped disc
• Bone spur
• Spinal stenosis
• Piriformis syndrome
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Pregnancy
• Vertebral fracture

Major Risk Factors for Sciatica

Certain activities and conditions could put you at a higher risk of developing painful, restrictive, debilitating conditions like sciatica. You are more likely to suffer from sciatica based on the following risk factors:

• Age. Over the years, our bodies undergo natural wear and tear and the bone and soft tissue in joints including the spine can wear away and increase your risk of sciatica.
• Weight. The more weight on your body, the harder your back muscles have to work, and the more pressure the tissue in your spine and pelvic joints face.
• Other medical conditions. Diabetic patients are suseptable to nerve damage, and joint-related diagnoses like osteoarthritis can cause pain and pressure on your spine and sciatic nerve.
• Occupation/Daily activities. Occupations that require lifting heavy loads for long periods, frequent bending and twisting, or driving (causing the up-and-down movement and vibration of the body) can cause sciatica.
• Lifestyle. Lifestyle choices like a “couch potato” daily routine or tobacco use can cause weakness and eventual irritation related to sciatica.

Finding the Right Maryland Heights, MO Area Sciatica Treatment

There are a number of treatments that are commonly used to treat sciatica patients. These treatments, ranging from conservative recommendations like cold and heat applications to surgical operations, vary in their accepted level of efficacy. Regardless of their respective disciplines, medical providers who work with sciatica all recognize that physical activity is a critical component of managing and treating sciatica. This directly contradicts previous advice to confine patients to bed rest, which we now know does not improve disabiity or pain in patients.

Ultimately, you must seek the advice of a licensed medical professional before taking any actions related to your medical care. Our Maryland Heights, MO area physical and occupational therapists with Axes Physical Therapy are committed to to guiding individuals of all types in the Maryland Heights, MO area to optimal movement health. In your case, that includes understanding your medical history, sciatica symptoms, and other key information. Your dedicated Axes Physical Therapy movement healthcare provider near Maryland Heights, MO will complete a complimentary screening prior to beginning any treatment so that we can truly understand your condition and develop a personalized treatment plan for your needs.

In addition to a history of success in treating Maryland Heights, MO area sciatica patients, our skilled Maryland Heights area providers will deliver the care you need. Our team of experts in many different areas of the body and joint, nerve, and muscle conditions offer access to the care you need, including the following

• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation

Treatments Options for Sciatica in Maryland Heights, MO

The medical community and especially medical professionals who are specialists in spinal care recommend some of the following as treatment of sciatica for certain patients. Your physician, Maryland Heights, MO Axes physical therapist, and all other members of your treatment team will collaborate to lay forth and carry out the most promising sciatica treatment plan for you.

• Medications. There is some conflicting information surrounding which drugs are effective for patients with sciatica, but as with any other drug, every medication comes with potential risks. Drugs for sciatica are most often used to aleviate symptoms, including the following types of medications:
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Muscle relaxers
  • Antidepressants
  • Corticosteroids
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Opiod pain medications
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy is a powerful treatment for sciatica that should be included in most sciatica treatment plans. Your physical therapist will use a variety of treatment methods that target comprehensive movement health and repair the underlying cause of your sciatica pain. Working with a physical therapist in the Maryland Heights, MO area can help you obtain pain relief, improve your mobility, heal stronger, halt or prevent permanent disability and nerve damage, and reduce the risk of future injuries or sciatica flair-ups. Your Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist will treat your sciatica pain with treatment methods that improve your posture, restore balance, increase flexibility, improve strength, and release pressure.
• Injections. In some cases, your provider might recommend one more more injections to the affected area. Common injection treatments for sciata are nerve root blocks, which apply the steroid and anesthetic combination directly to the affected sciatic nerve root, or epidural injections, which aim the steroid and anesthetic to the epidural space surrounding the nerve. As a sciatica sufferer in Maryland Heights, MO, you may use injections as a way to temporarily aleviate nerve inflammation for the purposes of pain relief and potentially preserve movement abilities needed for daily living. Injection treatment effects can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
• Surgery. Due to its risk and inherent invasive nature, surgery is usually reserved for patients with the most severe symptoms or those who have not successfully healed with more conservative treatment methods. There are a number of surgical procedures that can be used to address sciatic, such as a microdiscectomy to remove a herniated disc or a laminectomy to remove bone spurs or parts of vertebrae putting direct pressure on your sicatic nerve. To maximize your chances of success, surgery should be proceeded and followed by pre- and post-operative physical therapy care.
  You may be a candidate for surgery for your sciatica if:
  • you experience incontinence
  • you have spinal stenosis, where bone spurs are pressing on your sciatic nerve
  • you have significant neurological dysfunction
  • other treatment methods have not helped or are no longer effective

Benefits of Maryland Heights, MO Physical Therapy for Sciatica

The primary directive for sciatica patients is to stay active. Keeping an active lifestyle, stretching, and practicing exercises designed to help address sciatica are highly effective and critical in the treatment of sciatica for anyone in the Maryland Heights, MO area.

Coincidentally, these are all major elements to any physical therapy care we provide Maryland Heights, MO area sciatica patients through the Axes Physical Therapy network of physical therapy offices. Your Axes physical therapist near Maryland Heights, MO will guide you in activities and exercises that strengthen and mobilize tissues in the lower back, pelvis, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs and heal the source of your sciatica.

The goals of physical therapy and exercise in treating sciatica are to:

• Improve functional movement
• Relieve sciatic nerve pain
• Reduce muscle spasms
• Restore function of the lumbar spine and the sacroiliac joint
• Improve mobility of the lower body
• Foster a better healing environment in the lower back
• Restore overall balance and proper posture in the back and legs
• Promote neurologic adaptations to reduce the perception of pain
• Prevent future pain flareups and permanent nerve damage
• Foster confidence in your ability to move pain-free

Your dedicated Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist will design a plan incorporating a variety of different treatment modalities in your sciatica treatment plan, such as:

• Hot and cold therapies
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stiumlation
• Ultrasound
• Flexbiliby and strength exercises
• Joint manipulation
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Dry needling
• Education and training for posure, safe technique, and activity modifications

Trust your movement health care team at Axes Physical Therapy to identify the sciatica treatment modalities best for you and work together with your full medical team to help you manage your sciatica symptoms, alleviate the underlying irritation of your sciatic nerve, and reclaim the strength, flexibility, and full range of motion of a healthy individual. Speak to a physical therapist in Maryland Heights, MO now to discuss your sciatica treatment options, including a quality, tailored physical therapy plan.

Get Relief for your Sciatica in Maryland Heights, MO Now

When the excruciating pain and insurmountable limitations of sciatica get in the way of doing the activities that are important to you, get quality care for your sciatica right away. Swift and strategic physical therapy for your sciatica in the Maryland Heights, MO area can free you from the pain and restore the mobility you require to live your life.

Axes Physical Therapy offers accessible, convenient, and proven sciatica treatment near Maryland Heights, MO. Our fifteen Missouri physical therapy locations make it simple for you to get quality care. Find the location nearest you or request an appointment online right now.